I’m being transferred to another state due to military orders, but my wife is staying here to complete her Master’s degree. She’ll be on her own for a few years, so we’ve been discussing safety ideas if someone tried to break in. We’ve hit a bit of a disagreement, so I thought I’d get some opinions here.
She’ll be living on the second floor of a two-story house, and there’s only one main entry door but three windows on this floor (in the bedrooms and living room). The windows have a slight slanted roof below them, about 3 feet out and 8-10 feet above the ground.
Her plan is to use a door stopper rod on her bedroom door, open the window, hook up a fire escape ladder, and climb down. I think this takes too long and argued she should just lock the door, climb onto the roof, and drop down quickly. She worries my idea could lead to an injury.
If it were me, I’d just stay in the room and wait. Put something solid to hide behind like the bed or a bookshelf, have 911 on speaker, and announce to anyone coming in that they need to leave or they’ll get hurt. No way I’d risk her climbing out onto a roof.
Rich said:
Do you have any firearms at home? Have you shown her how to use one if it came down to that?
Ever been in the military? A lot of folks think everyone there is skilled with guns, but most aren’t really trained for combat. The majority of roles are support, so they don’t see a lot of time with firearms.
@Reid
I hear you. There are definitely some folks in the military who aren’t great with firearms, but I figured they might be more likely to own one anyway.
Honestly, if she’s going to be there alone for that long, I’d look into getting her a gun or some kind of defense tool. Neither of your escape plans sounds ideal to me.
I’d suggest adding a Flip Lock device to make the door more secure. That, along with a good frame, will really help against anyone trying to kick it in. A ladder is a good backup, especially for fire, but she’ll need something faster to avoid being seen. Cameras can help too – they can notify her if someone’s coming. Also, add mace gel (doesn’t blow back like spray), dowels in the windows so they can’t be opened, and timers on lights to make it look like someone’s home.
I’ve lived alone in different cities for years, and honestly, as long as she has solid locks, maybe an alarm or camera, and stays aware, she should be fine. Don’t overthink it. Basic precautions go a long way.
Get a solid door if she doesn’t already have one, like something stronger than those hollow ones. The ladder might help for emergencies, but her current plan sounds like it might take too long to set up if she’s in a rush.
Have you considered drilling holes in the floor to install a Nightlock Barricade? It’s fast and really secure. As for the ladder, it’s definitely worth a test run. If she’s comfortable with it, then great. But if she’s open to learning, maybe a firearm could be an option too?
Those door stoppers that go under the knob are pretty much useless. They need solid support to work right, and most don’t hold up well. Instead, plan an escape from the window with a rollout mat or rope ladder. Alarms can be a great deterrent too – loud noise and flashing lights can be enough to scare off anyone trying to break in.